KUALA KANGSAR – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has returned to his alma mater, the Kuala Kangsar Malay College (MCKK), where he once again walked the halls that shaped his early thinking and personal discipline.
During a session titled “Anwar Meeting” with current students of the college, the prime minister reflected on his time as a pupil. He spoke warmly of former friends and teachers, adding that their kindness was “too high and noble” to ever be fully repaid.
The questions posed by the young audience, however, quickly moved from nostalgia to weighty global matters. Students raised issues ranging from geopolitical tensions to the role of education in shaping tomorrow’s leaders.
Anwar responded by painting a grim picture of the current international landscape. He pointed to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, specifically Israel’s continued attacks on Iran with the backing of the United States. This, he said, has triggered an ever-widening cycle of violence.
In Gaza, the world has witnessed the killing of civilians, the destruction of basic infrastructure, and the profound suffering of innocent children. Yet the Prime Minister reserved his sharpest criticism for the reaction, or lack thereof, from certain Western powers.
“It is even more disappointing when some Western powers choose to remain silent and in certain circumstances, continue to provide political and military support,” he told the students.
He described this stance as the “real face of hypocrisy”. He argued that while these nations speak loudly about human rights, their principles become selective and politicised when faced with murder, tyranny and land grabbing.
Anwar noted that the very countries engaging in such behaviour possess the world’s most advanced technology, vast knowledge resources and the finest educational institutions. “When intelligence is not accompanied by conscience, it only produces strength without humanity,” he said.
Turning back to the future of education, the Prime Minister answered the students’ concerns by stressing that Malaysia must avoid producing a generation that is excellent on paper but hollow at its core. He borrowed a famous phrase from Harvard University professor Harry R. Lewis: “Excellence Without a Soul.”
Education, Anwar insisted, must produce individuals who are not only intellectually superior but also deeply rooted in values, morals and conviction.
He concluded by reminding the young audience that the knowledge, opportunities and space they receive come with a heavy responsibility.
“It is a trust to build a more just, humane and dignified society, as well as open access to quality education to all, God willing,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s visit to MCKK, one of Malaysia’s most prestigious old boys’ schools, has reignited public discussion about the balance between academic excellence and ethical grounding in the national curriculum.
